Mitt Romney retreat roster: David Axelrod

The guest list for Mitt Romney’s June retreat has a few surprising names not traditionally seen together with the former GOP presidential nominee.

The list of high-profile speakers include Democratic political consultant David Axelrod, who was President Barack Obama’s campaign adviser in 2008 and an Obama senior strategist in 2012, The Boston Globe reported Tuesday. During the 2012 campaign, Axelrod was openly critical of Romney, often slamming the Republican for his political stances.

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Another staunch Obama supporter, and the former chairman of the Democratic National Convention, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is also on the list.

New Jersey Republican Gov. Chris Christie is also expected to speak at the retreat. The Republican caught flak from his own party last year when he worked together with the president on Hurricane Sandy relief.

Other guests include Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), who was Romney’s vice president pick, Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson, the bipartisan duo who chaired the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, and David Axelrod’s wife, Susan.

According to the Globe, in an email, Romney stressed the bipartisanship of the event writing, “As I indicated in your invitation, I have drawn speakers from government and business to identify key opportunities ahead. And I have made sure to invite presenters from both sides of the aisle.”

The event, called Experts and Enthusiasts will be held in Park City, Utah. The conference will be sponsored by Solamere, the company Tagg Romney co-founded and for which Mitt Romney now serves as chairman of the executive committee. The conference will focus on discussing opportunities in business, politics and philanthropy, according to The Salt Lake Tribune.